Telephone-switchboard annunciator.



No. 788,924. PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

' O. T. MASON.

TELEPHONE $WITGHBOARD ANNUNGIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. 1904.

Snow M01 aniline/own NITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES THOMAS MASON, OF SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SUMTER TELEPHONE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

TELEPHONE-SWITCHBOARD ANNUNCIATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,924, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed June 10, 1904. Serial No. 212,003.

T all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES THOMAS MA- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sumter, in the county of Sumter and State of South Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Telephone-Switchboard Annunciators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to telephone-switch- IO board annunciators; and its object is to produce an automatic drop-restoring mechanism of simple and effective character and of such construction that it may be cheaply made and will operate with very slight friction, and

I 5 hence with small wear,on the contacting parts.

' My invention relates to that class of switchboard-annunciators in which the drop is mechanically restored to position by the insertion of the connecting-plug into the switch- 2 board-jack.

In its preferred embodiment my invention is disclosed in the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In the specification and drawings like fig- 2 ures of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, of a jack mechanism provided with my 3 improvements.

detail View showing the drop in released condition, and Fig. 3 a similar view showing the plug in the jack and the drop in restored position. I

The circuit-connecting means and jack and plug contacts herein shown are substantially the same as those of my Patent No. 659,588, issued October 9, 1900; but my present invention relates to the drop-restoring mechanism 4 alone, and hence such connecting means and plug-contacts are not herein particularly described, as my invention is applicable to various forms of jacks and different arrangements of circuit connections.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the magnet of the jack device, and 2 the pivoted armature thereof. Extending from this armature horizontally over the magnet is a rod or latch 3.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional This rod is adapted to engage the upper part of a pivoted annunciator-drop 4:, located be- 5 hind the face-plate 5. The annunciator-drop here shown is of the bulls-eye type, being provided with a boss 6, on which is marked the indicating-number. The boss is adapted to project through an opening in the faceplate 5, so as to prominently disclose the number and making its disappearance an effective signal. The drop when tripped is caused to fall inwardly behind the face-plate. This arrangement serves to protect the drop from accidental operation by the operator, from injury, and also enables the parts of the drop restoring mechanism to be inclosed and protected behind the face-plate and the front of the jack. 5

Below the drop is mounted the jack. The jack-throat 7 is adapted to receive 'a connecting-plug 8 of ordinary form. This plug is adapted to cooperate with the contacts to effect the connections between the differentlines 7 v in the usual way.

The jack-throat 7 has its upper surface cut away or slotted on an inwardly-inclined way or plane at 9, so as to form a tapered inclined bearing for a ball 10, which constitutes a drop- 7 5 actuating member. Projecting from the drop is a tailpiece 11, extending downwardly and rearwardly in a curved or inclined line over the ball 10.

In its normal position the ball 10 is at the bottom of the inclined slot 9 and is supported by the wall of the jack-throat and the faceplate 5, and in this position a portion of the body of the ball projects into the area of the jack-throat. 5

The operation of the device is as follows: When a call is sent in from a subscribers line corresponding to a certain jack, the magnet will be excited in the usual way and the armature 2 attracted, whereby the rod or latch 3 9 will be lifted and the annunciator-drop released, so that it will fall inwardly and its disappearance attract the attention of the operator. The plug 8 is then inserted by the operator in order to make the connection; As the plug enters the jack-socket its end will strike against and carry the ball 10, which is projecting into the socket, backward on the jack and up the incline 9 thereof. The ball will contact with the tailpiece 11 and lift the drop by a positive and continuous pressure to its upright position, where it will be caught and held by the rod or latch 3, which has been released from the attraction of the magnet through the insertion of the plug.

The ball constitutes an antifriction droprestoring member exceedingly cheap and simple in character and one that requires no care in adjustment and does not necessitate repairs. The pressure against the drop is obtained by a rolling contact between the plug and the ball and between the latter and the drop. This is a point of considerable importance, as the plug can move freely in and out of the socket and there is no liability to catching or binding of the plug. The plug is usually provided with a rubber insulatingcollar 12 for the purpose of breaking contact between certain points, and with my invention the plug and its collar moves both in and out of the socket without friction or danger of catching against contacting parts.

When the plug is withdrawn, the ball runs down the incline by its own weight, thus returning automatically to normal position, in readiness for the next call.

It is clear that changes in the details of the particular device here shown and described may be made without departing from the scope of my invention. I

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim is 1. In a switchboard-annunciator in combination with a pivoted signal-drop and plug, a drop-restoring ball between and independent of said parts and adapted to have direct pressure contact with both, substantially as described.

2. In a switchboard-annunciator, in combination with a pivoted drop, a plug, a jack, said jack having an inclined way, a drop-restoring member mounted on said way and bodily movable between said drop and plug and actuated in one direction by the pressure of said plug and in the other by gravity, substantially as described.

In a switchboard-annunciator, in combination with a jack, a signal-drop, a plug, said jack having an inclined way, and a loose ball on said way between and limited in movement by said drop and the entrance to the jack, substantially as described.

4. In a switchboard-annunciator, in combination with a jack, an inwardly-swinging drop pivoted behind the annunciator-face, and ha\ ing a projection extending from said drop, a loose freely-movable, drop-restoring member between the jack-entrance and said projection, and a. plug adapted to be inserted in said jack, substantially as described.

5. In a switchboard-annunciator, in combination with an inwardly-swinging drop, a jack, a plug, a projection on said drop, and a bodily-movable, drop-restoring member confined between said projection and the front of the jack and projecting into the jack-throat, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES THOMAS MASON. Witnesses:

F. C. MANNING, MURR HALL. 

